Sensors attached to animals to monitor behavioral patterns are known. Monitoring behavior patterns of animals may provide useful information regarding the well being of the animals. For example in the dairy industry, pedometers are often used and attached to a leg or the neck of dairy cows to monitor the number of animal movements of cows. Pedometers may typically include an accelerometer to measure impact in one or more directions, e.g. vertical impact. Monitoring the number of animal movements of the cows may aid in determining when the cow is in estrus so that the dairy manager may, for example plan an optimal time for insemination. The number of animal movements has been shown to increase during estrus. Number of animal movements may also be useful in monitoring the general well being of each of the cows and/or of the herd.
Other sensors to monitor animals are known. For example, sensors to monitor body temperatures of the animals are known. Body temperature sensors may typically be ingested.
Sensing devices may typically include an electronic identification (ID) tag that may be used to identify the animal, e.g. identify by serial number. The sensing devices may typically record and/or store information particular to the animal that may be periodically transmitted. Known sensing devices may typically be wireless devices, e.g. passive and/or active devices that may transmit data to a central transceiver unit when the animal comes within range of the transceiver.